WEEKLY QUESTION 7

Teacher Julie started with, "In this busy world we live in, we do two or three things simultaneously. We cut back on our sleep. We clean the house while the food is simmering in the stove. We rush here and there. There never seem enough time to do all the things that have to be done. We never seem to have enough time."

Teacher Julie's 7th Question from Greenbucks:

If we set aside an extra hour each day to do what we would rather do and not what we should be doing, what would you choose to do?

Apart from spending quiet time with the kids and being alone with my husband, I'll choose to retreat with my books.

Before the computer was introduced into our household (hehehe), reading books consumes most of my spare time. Now that I'm loaded with my daily routines and taking care of my husband and kids, it takes almost a month for me to finish one. I used to read them in days and my record for a novel is 6 hours on the bed(lol). I remember that was of John Grisham's - The Testament. Gone were those days.

Speaking of books, I recently finished The Secret Life Of A Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill. The author has a column in The Times Magazine - Slummy Mummy.

Its a very funny and entertaining book about a stay at home mother. Quoting from the above link:

"A smart, laugh-out-loud debut novel about a deeply flawed but endearing stay-at-home mom, a book for anyone who took Bridget Jones to heart a decade ago-and now has kids"...

..."Slummy Mummy: The Secret Life of Lucy Sweeney is a hilarious novel about the dilemmas of modern marriage and motherhood for those who never discovered their inner domestic goddess. Pitch-perfect and satisfyingly smart, it does for the stay-at-home mother what Allison Pearson's blockbuster bestseller I Don't Know How She Does It did for the working mom: It offers a lovable, flawed character who resonates, entertains, and undoubtedly has it worse than you do".

DADDY DANNY'S DAY

My Dad turned 64 today. I phoned him this morning and he told me we shouldn't have bothered giving him a celebration. I asked him how old he is though in my mind I knew he is 56. He said the numbers and I never thought those years flew.

He mentioned that the gasoline back home is 56 pesos and a cavan of rice is 2,000 pesos already. When we left the Philippines, gas was around 7 pesos and rice was 1,000 pesos for the best kind. He added, "I worry for the young ones. At least for me, I'm waiting for my years to leave this world. Life is getting harder, what will happen to the younger generation?". I held the line and thought of what he said. I later agreed because I can't find the answer.


Dad in 'Barong' with my Pa' in law before my sister's wedding at home

Daddy mentioned once before about pictures being the hard evidence of aging. After talking with him, he gave the phone to my sister Sharon. She was laughing as she was relating about my Auntie Mary's(his older sister)birthday gift.

When Dad was opening it, he guessed it was a picture frame and hoping high its with his photo when he was "baro"(a lad). To his dismay, it was his picture after a meeting when he was the Barangay Captain years ago. He was wearing Barong Tagalog and he shook his head while examining his gift. "Am I wearing jeans?" he asked my sisters and they chorused, "Yes you are!". Dad still in doubt, "No, that's not possible, I'm not that ignorant(emphasizing the word). Jeans don't go with 'Barong'. Then my Uncle Eddie(my father's oldest brother) came and confirmed its jeans hehehe...


Dad and Boogs: New Year's Eve waiting for 2006

My most memorable among all my Daddy's birthday was when I was 12 years old. My late Uncle Francis (one of my dad's adopted brother) came to join us. After dinner, my other uncle, Roger, came. A little bit drunk and he didn't know its my father's birthday. He was angry about my father increasing the worker's pay for a day's labor in our farm. There were exchanges of heated words and my father keeps on repeating that he only gave an extra pay because they came to harvest vegetables even if there's a typhoon.

My uncle couldn't be appeased and starting to talk about when they were kids which obviously "sibling rivalry" refreshed after so many years of turning into adults. But when my Dad said, "Ngantoy itan Roger? Bertdeyk pay niman ket"(Why is that Roger? Its even my birthday). My uncle's face changed - like water had just been splashed, so fresh as I picture him, cried and hugged my Dad saying he is sorry he didn't know. They were in tears and Uncle Francis joined them for a "group hug". After months, Uncle Francis died and again, short months passed, Uncle Roger met his end too on a car accident.

To you Daddy Danny, more years to come and always hang in there. You said getting old makes you of no use but that's not damn true! Knowing we have you there, there's always looking forward to going back home. You deserve every year of celebration for giving us your children the best years of your life. Happy birthday Dad and there's no day that we aren't missing you!

BLOG MAKEOVER

You're at the right page! Its one of those 'girly thingy' we enjoy - "fickleness considered as a graceful excuse". A new template, new header and additional widgets.

Thanks to BILL From The Boondocks for linking us to Ourblogtemplates.com when I've mentioned on one of my entries that I want 3 columns for this site. I am not good with computer "acrobats" because I'm lousy in following instructions. But with Ourblogtemplates.com, their Installing the template in your blog is easy to do.

After trying more or less 10 designs, I settled with Blogger Template: PurpleRush. For the Background image, we also give credit to GRSites.

I uploaded flowers for the header at first but my husband said its 'pangit'(ugly). Then the one I have now, he said, "that's better!"..... Yeah, he is married to me, I'm convinced hehehe...

Another credit due for FEEDJIT and Google Translate Mini-Flags Widget to the added 'blings'.

DYLAN'S SECOND SUMMER

Its been four months now since I last updated Dylan's baby developments: MIRROR,BOOKS AND STUFF. Summer last year was when I did the first one - Baby "D", The Explorer which was followed by THAT CHRISTMAS TREE .


We're all tanned now, except for Baby "D" - even though almost every day we're at the beach, the swimming pool or him enjoying water play in his little inflated basin. A brave boy floating there and gets sleepy while he is rocked. But, if he is out of the pool, you'll get tired chasing him. He thinks he can dive in. And, just today he thinks he can fill the big pool with stones and pine nuts as he keeps coming back and forth to get these from the swings.

At the beach, he goes to "nest" on others towel. He also roams around and gets the attention of people sunbathing with his fixed smile showing his teeth. He knows his cuteness is mesmerizing in exchange for touching their things that catches his eyes - like the biker's helmet he can't leave the last time.


He is becoming a dare-devil too. Aside from the bathroom door that has to remain closed, so is our bedroom door. He will just scare you off when you see him jumping on the bed and you're just in time to catch him from a big fall.

Then he'll lie down so carefree while you're trembling in fear wanting to smack his butt.

Another scary stunt is him climbing anything anywhere. The terrace is his favorite so are our chairs which are now all on top of the dining table that when its time to eat, its a hassle to put it all down.

He would always run for the door or the terrace gate like an escapee. I would do the same if I were my son rather than staying with my mom till she finishes her cleaning before I could play out.

"Clever boy", we call him because he knows how to get things he can not reach. He gets his little piano or his writing board making use of it as a stool. He also makes use of the toy sword, plastic bat or stick to get something from the table.

He also knows now that junk food are "the thing" and forcefully grabs some from his 'kuya' who is hiding it from him. I call this photo, "AHHH OISHI!"

So that's our Baby "D" at 1 year and 7 months. Now with 4 more new teeth growing at the same time. He who keeps on walking with either Mama or Papa behind him specially in the boat and in restaurants.

By the way, the old lady in the picture scooped him up in a restaurant and asked her daughter to take a picture of them. Thanks to my obsessive and compulsive(hehehe)photo shoots, my son knows his best angle hehehe...

WEEKLY QUESTION 6

Got to answer Teacher Julie's 6th question from Greenbucks before it piles up, just like the "hill" of clothes for me to iron(lol). Yep, its still a hill and far from being a "mountain".

WQ6:
Can you describe yourself as a friend? Or how do your friends describe you as a friend?

I'm not really sure if how am I as a friend but I know I have a lot of friends real and virtual(on line friends)... and yeah, imaginary friends are included.

I'll give the describing a try and if you're a friend of mine, you may react violently in protesting my "make believes" hehehe...

1. Food is a part of my friendship. I'll cook, she cooks or we must eat.
2. I'm a sticky tape specially when a friend is down.
3. Your mom would be thankful I am your friend. Good influence po kasi ako hehehe...
4. No dull moment...corny included.
5. A very sensitive person dangerously combined with easy to persuade.

I wish my very best friend is answering this for me. Oh well, both mothers now each meeting our own family's needs. Two years ago back home in the Philippines, we keep on saying in one of our girl talks, "Ay apo NANANG tan enya? feeling ko ket high school ta paylang".(Omg, we're already mothers, isn't it? I still feel we're in high school)...That's in preparation for our next talk someday - saying, "Ay apo LOLA tan enya, I still can't believe it!" Then I'll answer, "Sika lang!" hehehe...

BUDDY FLAME

Grazie to Teacher Julie for this Flame of Friendship. I'm passing this tag to Beng, Hannah, Izma, Noeda, Dyanis, Layad, Ganda, Jane, Salome, Nikki and Miss Buguias.

The Flame of Friendship:

A symbol of spirit in unity.
The burning icon of love.
Undying picture of hope.
The hot symbol of oneness.
The Flame of Friendship.

And now it’s your turn to flame yourself!
Meet new friends.
Discover friendship.
Make bonds.

Copy this post starting from the PICTURE ABOVE to the end and add your blog on the list below.Let’s start FLAMING!

The People Who Accepted The Flame of Friendship:

Tiklaton: We are the witness
Janeth Vicy’s Life Journey
A Simple Life
Hailey’s DomainHailey’s Beats and Bits
MOMEMO
Pinay Mommy Online
Straight from the Heart
Under One Roof
Say Cheese
Teacher JulieGreenBucks.1GreenBucks.2

a raconteur's attempt

(now, you follow!)OOOPSS!! Don’t forget to invite your friends!

END COPY HERE

WEEKLY QUESTION 5

Last week's question from Teacher Julie of Greenbuck's:

Let’s try to be a little practical and wise and philosophical this week and answer this question:
What lies ahead for me (and my family) during these tough times? Do we know where we are heading?

Not only that "Global Warming" is affecting every part of the world. So is "Global Recession" and "Inflation Warming". Unless you belong to the richest people on earth, you will not join us in saying, "its the tough times".

I have an old post here: ON INFLATION AND RECESSION, talking about how we and our host country are affected with the recent situation.

That's how my head is thinking on how to answer this Weekly Question 5, talking about how difficult it is but my heart says:

"Tough what? You're still lucky!"...

...You don't have debts...

...You do not spend more than what the family earns...

...You have no car that can't start with out Petrol...

...You don't care if your cellphone has no "i"(iPhone)on it or your PC doesn't say "MacNotebook".

...You can eat more than 3 times a day while some people can't even have one...

... You're on the computer and blogging right now...

...Most of all, you have a healthy and happy family!"...

My heart was right and that's not denying facts. Its accepting to live the life of not wanting more, more and more . So, what lies ahead of me and my family? All the best, my WILL DECLARES and that is where we are heading!

Tina of My Good Finds.Org has a very good entry here: Economy and Life »... and we are ending this piece with her words, "think positive. It doesn’t do any good to think doom and gloom is upon us because it makes matters worse."